Happy Juneteenth, folks.

156 years ago today, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce that the Civil War was over and declare the last enslaved people in the country free at last. The Emancipation Proclamation had been issued two years earlier -- but those in power had hidden the truth from those in bondage.

Since then, June 19th has commemorated the end of slavery in the United States -- because we’re not free until all of us are free.

That lesson rings true today. While Juneteenth is a time for joy and celebration, the fight for justice and equality continues. In Congress, I’m working every day to advance racial equity, including with my recent vote to pass the bipartisan George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

And this week, we officially established Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Juneteenth National Independence Day will become our first new legal public holiday since 1983, when we recognized Martin Luther King Jr. Day. I couldn’t be more proud to be part of the historic effort to recognize this day and give everyone in our country the chance to celebrate and reflect.

The pain and anguish of slavery can never be undone, and the struggle for equality continues. I’m proud to be in this fight for justice with you.

Wishing you a joy-filled Juneteenth,

Haley Stevens